


Versa Roma Wasn't Built in a Day

by sophe



Series: Children of Mars [2]
Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Culture, F/M, Innuendo, M/M, Makeup Sex, Recovery, Violence, Wedding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-10-17
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:03:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2182404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophe/pseuds/sophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 2 of the Children of Mars series.  Vero is back, Rosa has her reckoning with the Courier, Bell is eventually back to her usual impulsive self, and poor Vulpes and co. find themselves dragged along for the ride.</p><p>The Empire is officially founded and just like its inspiration, it wasn't built in one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. She Used to Love Him A Lot (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> Johnny Cash's son found some old never been released masters. They updated the music (re-mastered), but the vocals are all Johnny Cash and they just released the album, 'Out Among the Stars'. One of the songs is 'She Used to Love Me a Lot', and just like other songs that act as muses for me, this song just opened a wealth of creativity. This is appropriate because Part two is focused on the developing society and its culture, which means that music, art, and writing will all play a part. I decided to go with Bluegrass (because even if its origin isn't American, it is very much American music) and Jazz/Blues (because it is America's only original music _and_ Nina Simone is my muse).

They had cuffed his wrists to the table, manacled his ankles together, and then chained the restraints to a ring bolted into the floor. His movement was limited and the way the chains attached through each cuff, constantly reminded him that the only movement he was afforded, was given to him by his captors.

No one had told the courier why he was in the interrogation room. His guards, two very large Legionary soldiers who never allowed him a single moment of privacy, dumped him in the room. After securing the chains, they left him alone. It was the first time he had been alone since those priests had grabbed him outside of Caesar's tent.

Vulpes had visited him once. The Frumentarius had just sat across and stared at him for over thirty minutes, but not saying a word. He was disappointed that Bellona had not visited him. After all, he had kept her company while she was visiting the Fort. He had expected her to return the favor at least.

The door opened and he smiled. In walked the sassiest red head in all of the Mojave and quite the spitfire in bed as well.

"Cass!" The courier tried to stand up, but the chains left him hunched over the table as she sat down across from him.

Rosa Campi looked down at the floor. Some of the prison guards had marked off lines on the floor in chalk. As long as she stayed within those lines, there was no way the Courier could reach her. 

"I missed you, Cass. You left without saying goodbye."

She lifted her head in slow motion, increment by miniscule increment until she looked right into his eyes. The same eyes she had once thought to be a beautiful brown and welcoming, were now dark and cool. What she once thought hinted at a welcoming sense of humor now revealed itself to be a twisted sense of fun, one that was always at the expense of others.

"Boone's dead, but the rest of us are all alive and well." The corners of her lips pulled up into a smile, a practiced gesture that mimicked Bellona's tight smile. "Well, some are more well than others."

If she expected him to react, she was disappointed. The Courier just shrugged his shoulders.

"We had a lot of fun, Cass." He almost reached out to her, but either the chains or something inside of him stopped him. "It was good, wasn't it?"

"I think you have to define good."

He knew that she was glad to see him. "We can start over, from when I let you go."

"I used to love you. A lot."

"You still do, Cass. I can tell."

Rosa Campi tilted her head to the side and turned to look out the window of the room. The Courier followed her gaze and if someone were looking closely, she would have seen the subtle changes to his expression before he schooled it back into a countenance of calm assuredness.

She continued to look out of the window. "You'll have a trial. And you'll even get a defense." She turned back to look at him and grinned, this time it aped the feral smile Vulpes used when dealing with those to which he planned on causing immediate and irreparable harm. "And then you'll see just how much I loved you." She wasn't sure what she had expected or even hoped to accomplish with this meeting, but it sure as hell wasn't this. She stood up and walked to the door.

"Come on, Cass. You need me. You wouldn't be here if you didn't." She stopped walking and he continued. "We can start from where we left off. I'll even forgive you for leaving me."

"Yes I'm in need of something, but something you ain't got. But I used to love you a lot." She walked out the door and he heard the lock settle back in place. 

He looked out the window and the man wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He saw his fingers press into her shoulder and the way her body leaned up against him. They walked away. She used to love him a lot.


	2. 21 Days in the 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the suggestion of Chocochipbiscuit, I made this chapter time compressed so that we didn't drag through Bell's recovery, but that it would still seem realistic. I also did a bit more telling than showing, but fear not, showing happens during the next chapter. Bell and Vulpes still won't be back to 100%, but at least I won't have two angst-ridden individuals flopping all of the page.
> 
> (Yes, I know, I totally screwed up the chapters.)

**Rosa Campi**

"He didn't say anything?" I looked at Vulpes, waiting for his answer.

The Caesar just shook his head from side to side. "Not a word."

Ianus leaned back in his chair and looked at me. "That's not like him. He always liked to talk."

We were in the sitting room of Lucius and my apartment. The one area where we were least likely to be disturbed and there was no chance for the princess to overhear our conversation. She wasn't very forthcoming about what happened to her so we ended up trying to piece the events together. But this was like one of those old pre-war board games that was missing a few too many pieces to be any fun anymore.

I turned to Ianus, "I know that you have the whole patient doctor thing going on, but we need to know and she won't tell us."

He stared down at his feet. The little shit, like they would give him an answer to the whole ethical dilemma thing.

Vulpes cleared his throat. "I could order you."

"And I could refuse you." Ianus actually lifted his chin up at Vulpes. Well shit. This was not exactly good in the whole, 'Let's figure out what happened to Bell' plan.

"Don't test me, Ianus. Alerio will be upset, but he is of the Empire first and will understand." I don't think I've ever seen Vulpes stare down anyone the way he glared at Ianus. And I had no doubt that at that moment, Vulpes would have no problem doing whatever he had to do in order to get Ianus to tell him everything.

"Oh Christ. Ianus, are you her friend or her doctor?" I needed to do something or Lucius and I would have to change rooms because there would be no fucking way I would be able to get all the blood stains out. That and he was starting to piss me off. 

"I am both." Ianus steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Nope. Doesn't count. It's an either or thing, bucko. Either you're her friend or her doctor. And if you're her doctor then you need to get the fuck out because if Vulpes here doesn't slice you up into little pieces, I just might." Ianus staying quiet wasn't going to help anyone at this point, in fact it might just hurt Bell.

Vulpes lifted an eyebrow and looked over at me.

"What? I can be as much of a twisted fuck as you are." I turned back to Ianus. "So what's it gonna be? Slow painful death or spilling the beans?"

Ianus tilted his head back and looked up at the ceiling. "It doesn’t look like she was raped. The only visible wounds are to her back, which I am guessing is from a scourge, probably hers and the wounds to her neck."

Vulpes looked at me. "One of us needs to be there when she wakes up."

"There have been a few invitations. We can't keep telling people she's sick." Ianus had been keeping Bell drugged, pointing out that even with the stims, she needed to be quiet to heal. We all knew she wouldn't stay quiet if she was awake, so Vulpes had reluctantly approved the use of chems to keep her sedated. Personally I think he was taking notes for future reference.

"We'll postpone what we can and send Charlotte out to the easier events." Vulpes smirked his trademark smirk at me. "Mind continuing being her minder?"

"So really it's, you need to be there when she wakes up unless it's something you _have_ to do, in which case I'm the second choice?"

Vulpes nodded his head. "Yes." He stood up and walked across the room and out the door.

Ianus stood up as well once Vulpes left. "Not so fast, bucko." He looked down at me. "Sit."

Ianus just looked at me like I grew a second head, but he did lower himself back into the chair. "What?"

"Rules are different for her." I leveled my gaze at him. "The sooner you figure it out, the easier it will be for all of us."

"I'm a doctor."

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm fucking the head of the Praetoriani and you're fucking the head of the Frumentarii. None of that means shit when the princess is involved." I went in for the kill. "How do you think Vulpes is gonna treat Alerio. Sure, he groomed him to take over, but he still has Cato as a spare."

Ianus glared at me, but finally nodded his head.

"Bell being angry with you is small potatoes compared Vulpes."

"I got your message." He stood up and walked out of the room. He didn't even bother to say goodbye or thanks. Not that I really expected him to. I just sort of wished that he would be a smidgen more understanding.

_One Week After Fort Rescue_

I shared a glance with Nerio as she held Charlotte in place with her legs and I struggled to pull the dress down over her head.

The kid had been at the Lucky 38 for just over two weeks and she was giving the princess a run for her money when it came to pure stubbornness. "Damnit, stop squirming."

"Oww!" Charlotte screamed and started crying dramatically.

"Well if you stopped moving around like a gecko, I wouldn't have zipped you up while I was zipping up the dress."

"I hate dresses! I don't want to wear a dress! Dresses are stupid!" Her lungs might have actually surpassed Bell's capacity for screaming.

Nerio pursed her lips and wrapped her fingers around the back of Charlotte's neck. "Listen, you little brat, your childhood might have started out shitty, but I can promise you that when Aunt Rosa and I were your age, our lives were shittier and didn't get better until we were a lot older than you. Be grateful the Caesara took a liking to you."

Despite not really knowing how I felt about the girl when she first came to Vault, I had come to actually really like her since our arrival in the 38. Between the two of us, we had managed to bully, cajole, and entreat the men of the Empire into behaving themselves during the past week, after Bellona had returned from the Fort. We never actually voiced our plan, it was just that of everyone who lived in the 38, only we could understand what it was going to be like for Bell and we had somehow figured out on our own that we needed to run interference.

I handed Nerio the brush as she slid onto the girl's back, pinning her to floor without really putting weight on her. I leaned back against the chair, half waiting for the brat the try to bite Nerio. The slave cum priestess, cum almost wife of the Bellonarii brotherhood, was tough and really didn't take much flack from anyone. Not even Vulpes himself was immune from her directives.

The screaming reached a pinnacle in both volume and pitch and yet neither of us really gave much of a fuck about her protests. Cato finally walked into the room (the men liked to not have much of anything to do with Charlotte, and who could really blame them) and looked at the two of us.

Charlotte managed to land a kick on Nerio, and that woman took the brush, flipped it over and laid it out right on the little girls bottom. The screaming stopped. Nerio returned to the brushing and once she satisfied she hoisted herself up and pulled Charlotte up with her. The little girl stood there, rubbing her backside and sniffling.

"Charlotte, Bellona is hurt." Nerio pulled Charlotte in front of her and held her chin with her fingers so the little girl was forced to look at her. "I know where you came from. Ianus told me."

Charlotte looked down and to the side, anywhere but at Nerio or one of us. That was interesting, I didn't even know where Charlotte was from, but then Ianus hadn't really spoken to me much since our last talk with Vulpes.

"Charlotte. You know what happened to some of the women where you lived?"

The little girl nodded her head slowly.

"Well that's what happened to Bellona. She's not doing this because she can't. She's still hurting." I saw Charlotte swallow hard and tighten her lips. "This is our secret ok? You can't share this with anyone. Not even Tom."

Cato wanted to run. I couldn't blame him. Children weren't really any of our strong points as our dealings with Charlotte were pretty much proof.

"She's not ignoring you, Charlotte and you being difficult means that Aunt Rosa and I can't spend more time with her." I was kinda shocked. I didn't think Nerio was good at mothering. Seducing and being ogled at, sure, but not this mommy thing. "If Cato reports back that you were a good girl and on your best behavior this afternoon, you can visit with Bellona before dinner."

Charlotte leaned on to her left foot and scratched her ankle with her right foot, but she nodded her head. "Ok."

Cato and I both just stared at Nerio. He finally reached out his hand. "Come on, Charlotte, Vulpes is waiting for you in the lobby."

The little girl took his hand without so much as a glance back at us. Not that I really expected it.

I looked over at Nerio. "Well that was interesting."

Nerio watched the closed door. "She came from the Gomorrah. And no matter how crappy the Legion could be, there was at least the chance that you wouldn't catch some of the bigger bastards' eyes."

"Not at the Gomorrah."

"Nope. At least that's what Ianus tells me."

"We can't let Bellona find out. Ever."

"The Caesara isn't nearly as oblivious as the rest of you think she is." Nerio turned her eyes to me and I swear to god, I flinched. "The former and current Caesar kept her sheltered, but she isn't dumb. She figured things out soon enough. She also became really good at playing dumb."

As soon as she said the words so many things slipped into place. Bellona was strong and capable when Vulpes wasn't around. She was decisive and didn't hesitate. I let my head fall back on the chair. Well shit. I had to reanalyze everything. Including Nerio.

Nerio crossed her arms under her impressive chest and stared down at me. "You all think she had no idea what I am or represent? Who do you think made sure I learned to read Latin? Who do you think supplied me with dresses?"

I looked up at the woman who I really didn't want to have this conversation with and gave up trying to come up with a witty response. "Well then, I suppose we should go relieve Ianus."

She offered me a hand and I let her help pull me up to my feet. "What is it with the doctor anyway?"

"What? Why he's such an twat sometimes?"

She nodded her head.

"He thinks he's right. And usually he is, but we've all been pointing out how he isn't right when it comes to Bell and he's not taking it very well." I brushed off the back of my pants and snagged two Nuka Colas from the small fridge in our sitting room. I opened them and handed Nerio one of them. "He got that way with me too, but it wasn't so obvious since he kinda hated most of the people who I was staying with when he first arrived. But he gets over it and everything goes back to normal soon enough."

Nerio shrugged her shoulders. "So he's really no better than any other Empire man. He doesn't realize how strong we are."

I took a swig from the bottle so I wouldn't be forced to agree with her. Not that it bothered me to agree with her, it just annoyed me that once again she pointed out my lack of observational skills. That and her rack was really impressive.

_Two Weeks After Fort Rescue_

Lucius found me sitting in the bar reading through some of Bell's writings from her time in the vault about religion within the Empire. I had a Latin primer open next to me so that I could translate some of words.

"Vulpes is starting to fret, Chelysos." He sat down next to me and looked over at the papers in front of me and I swear the man actually made a little noise of approval about my translations.

"Nerio and I agreed to give her another week."

"You're friends with her?" He seemed surprised to hear that Nerio and I were talking with one another.

I leaned back and look at him. "I wouldn't say friends as much as I would say allies with a common cause."

"Bellona?"

I nodded my head and smiled at him.

"Rosa Campi, what's your honest opinion about her?"

"I think that she's grateful to Bellona and is using this as a way to pay Bellona back." He seemed to take my words to heart, but it got me thinking. "Alerio is nervous?"

"We all are."

"She doesn't want Vulpes. At least I don't think that she would try to seduce him." I turned on the couch to face him. "Lucius, Nerio and I are the only two people here who even have the slightest understanding of what Bell went through. The difference between us and her, is that Nerio and I didn't have a nice and pretty life before."

"Ianus says she wasn't raped though."

"Not in the traditional definition of the word, but she was sure as fuck violated. Rape doesn't have degrees, there's either consent or their isn't and it doesn't matter what happens if consent is never given." Of course I kept quiet that I wanted to drag her from her isolation just yesterday, but Nerio convinced me to give her another week. To see if Bellona would come out of it herself. And I sure as hell wasn't going to share with him that it was Nerio who explained the whole degrees. "Remember when you found me?"

Lucius nodded his head. He didn't like talking about it and he liked it even less when I talked about it. "It is not something I can forget."

"I didn't know that I was safe. I didn't have the luxury of feeling safe afterwards."

"But we would never, Chelysos."

"I know that now, Lucius." I grabbed his hands, like touching him would reassure him. "But then, I just knew that I found myself in a vault with people who were known associates of the man who had done some pretty sick shit to me." I took a really deep breath. "I didn't have the time to think about what happened to me, I had to wall it up and move on." I lifted his hands and kissed his knuckles. "And through it all, you sat with me, you held me, you walked with me, you were there."

Lucius looked down at me and I couldn't help the smile from showing on my lips or the fluttering in my stomach. The man made me feel like a teenager.

"Vulpes does the same."

"Yes, but Vulpes remembers her before she was assaulted. You only knew me after you found me. Running from room to room half-dressed and jabbering about the benefits of deathclaw extract would have been an improvement from the screaming mess that stumbled into your club house."

I could tell that Lucius didn't really get it, but I didn't expect him to. It was a before and after thing and he didn't see me before so he never saw the differences with in the after. Vulpes was hyper vigilant when it came to Bellona and he was probably making a note of each and every difference in order to report to Ianus and see if there might be a reason for it.

Lucius leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Don't stay up too late. I think you have Charlotte tomorrow morning."

I was getting the feeling that when no one wanted to deal with Charlotte, Nerio and I were the go to baby sitters. And it seemed that more and more no one wanted to deal with the girl. Nerio was really the only one who could handle her, I managed to keep her slightly under control. Just barely.

"You do realize that when Bell is back to normal, you all won't be able to avoid babysitter duty?" I smirked at him and returned to the papers. It seemed that more and more we weren't spending our evenings doing anything other than sleeping. Another reason to get Bell back up and running. I wanted my night back.

_Three Weeks After Fort Rescue_

I looked over at Nerio and nodded my head. We were about to do what neither of us really wanted to do, but what I had said to Lucius was right. She was secure here and since she felt safe, she didn't have any need to keep on moving forward.

Nerio, who usually dressed in one of those fancy pre-war dresses that accentuated her ass and tits, was wearing jeans and a shirt and had even braided her hair. She looked more like Bell than ever. Lucius' words of warning about her angrily pushed their way to the front of my mind. "Just what are you up to?"

"We need to shock her."

"And you think that's gonna shock her?"

"Would you rather we get Vulpes drunk and have her walk in on me fucking him?"

I stared at her. Really stared at her. I knew my mouth and eyes were wide open. "There's a difference between shocking her and giving her a psychotic break. She catches Vulpes in bed with anyone who isn't her and Versa Roma burns to the ground."

Nerio leaned back against a wall in that 'I know more than everyone else' kind of way of hers. "Cocles told me that she's been drinking."

I didn't want to relive that scene. I found her sitting in the bar with a half empty bottle of vodka and she didn't seem to appreciate any advice I had given her, including the slap that landed on her cheek. "Don't worry. I took care of it."

"I thought time would work. That's not the case. So now we need to move things along for her benefit."

"Look, if my little come to Jesus moment with her in the bar didn't wake her up, I'm not too confident that you dressing up like her is really going to help."

"She just needs to know that she is replaceable, Rosa. Not that I'm going to replace her." She gave me one of those smiles that got most of the Bellonarii to run to her beck and call, but I was no Bellonarius.

"If it doesn't work, I'm telling Lucius why she's jabbering away like an idiot." I pointed my finger at her. Like my finger could actually be any real threat to her.

"It will work. She's been sheltered, so she needs to know that the world goes on without her."

I sighed as loudly as I could and leaned back against the wall. "I think she knows the world goes on without her. In fact, I'm pretty sure that was her plan." Bellona had let it slip in her drunken stupor. She wanted to know why we didn't let her die in the Fort? We had all thought that the marks on her neck was because of the Courier, but it was really because of her.

Nerio's eyebrows lowered while she thought about what I said. "Really?"

"She was convinced that she could do more for the Empire if she was a martyr."

"Well shit."

"Yeah, she's pissed. She was also pissed when she told me, so she probably doesn't remember it."

I might have become a reluctant friend, if I could really call it that, to Nerio, but I still didn't trust her completely. But I had just told her the big secret. The thing I had promised myself that I wasn't going to tell anyone. Not even Vulpes. And here I had just told the one woman who seemed to be looking out for the princess, but hell, as I knew, one could not always be what they seem.

Nerio looked off to the side and away from me, but I kept looking right at her.

"Can't say that I really blame her."

I nodded my head. "I thought about it too."

"People are starting to talk. We can't keep the cover going that she was injured in the sneak attack on the Fort for much longer."

"Nerio?"

She turned to look at me. 

"Why are you really doing this?"

"Same reason you are, Rosa Campi. I owe her."

"Yeah, but I'm not doing this because I feel obligated." Again, Lucius' words stomped around in my head. "When we get her back, you can't be seen around her. At least not around town."

"Don't worry." She pushed off from the wall and walked into the bedroom.

What'd she mean? Don't worry that she wouldn't hang around Bell or don't worry about her being seen hanging around Bell. I closed one eye and made a gun with my hand and shot the back of her head with my pointer finger. It didn't make me feel any better.

We ended up having to physically carry her into the shower. Images flashed through my mind of the time when Lucius dumped her in the shower, but I had no doubt of Bellona's motivations now. It took more screaming than Charlotte usually gave us during bath time, and more cold water than the contents of the pool Vulpes had filled, but eventually the princess came back to us. Apparently our combined will was stronger than hers.

Bellona glared at me and I realized, a bit late, that Nerio had left. The little coward.

I did the only thing I could, I grinned down at her. "Welcome back, Princess." I handed her a towel. "We gave you a three week vacation, but it's time to get back to work."

"I wasn’t on vacation." She turned away from me and pulled off her wet clothing before drying herself.

"I know that, Bell. More than anyone, I know that. But you stopped moving forward for a bit, and we let you."

"I gave you time, Rosa Campi."

"No, you didn't, Bell. You dragged me right along behind you kicking and screaming the entire way. But you didn't give me time." I sat down on the toilet and looked at the marks on her back. Ianus had done his best, but she would still have scars. "Maybe we should have given you time. But I listened to the men."

"Well that was your first mistake." She walked out of the bathroom and I followed her. 

I wasn't stupid enough to think that everything was ok, that it was all back to normal, but I also wasn't about ready to look a gift horse in the mouth. I watched her pull on clean clothes, probably the cleanest she had been in since her little self-imposed exile. "Your boyfriend nearly killed us getting us to the Fort."

She buttoned up her shirt and turned around. "How did you figure out I was there? And you went?"

I sat down on the foot of the bed and leaned back on my hands, kicking my legs back and forth. "Like I was going to let the boys run off on their own. Especially after that little traitorous bitch came running back here. Like she could fix her selling you off to Lanius and the Courier."

Her fingers paused while they combed through her wet hair. "What?"

"Vero came running back." I rolled my eyes at her. "Like she thought it would make everything ok."

"Where is she?"

"In jail, I think." I hadn't really thought about Vero since that night. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn't want to think about anything from that night. It was easier that way.

The Princess was already out of the bedroom and pressing down hard on the elevator button. "Yes Man!"

"Good Afternoon, Caesara." The doors opened and I hurried to step in behind her. I was pretty sure that she sure as hell wasn't going to wait up for me.

"Lobby."

Yes Man responded almost immediately. I prayed to her gods that Yes Man would let Vulpes know where we were headed, because I couldn't interrupt without her knowing that I was tattling. I let a long sigh. "What the hell, Bell?"

"Vero didn't sell me out. She brought me to the Fort because I asked her to, she started the update to the securitrons. She got captured and I traded myself for her freedom." She slammed her hand hard against the elevator buttons. "Damnit, Yes Man. Go faster!"

I stepped back against the wall of the elevator and nodded my head slowly. Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck. "Bell, she didn't defend herself. You were gone and she…" I couldn't really finish. We never gave her a chance. Oh fuck, what had I done? What had we done?

The doors of the elevator slid open and Bell almost ran out of the door. She would have too, if Cocles hadn't stepped out in front of her and stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Caesara, but the Caesar's orders, you're not to leave the 38 unescorted."

During the past three weeks the rest of the Empire had been slowly introducing laws to Versa Roma and while initially, there was a lot of resistance, eventually people started to realize it wasn't all bad. It was now safer to walk through Freeside and the Strip was starting to not just be a place to get drunk and lose yourself. I wondered why I didn't miss that. Getting lost.

The Princess was back in full form, but I didn't buy it. It was an act. I know, I had done the same thing. But eventually you just fake it until you make it. And if that was what Bell needed to do, I wasn't going to confront her about it.

"Then I shall be escorted." She pushed through the door without waiting to see if Cocles would follow. 

He looked at me and I just shrugged. Helping the Bellonarius determine if he was breaking a direct order was the last thing on the long list of things I was thinking about. I had beaten up a friend without a second thought. What scared me most is that I would have done it again. I would have had no problem doing it all over. That scared the shit out of me.

As soon as we stepped out of the building, Bellona stopped for a minute. A small open aired market was set up across from the 38 and mothers were already picking through the goods. Children were weaving through the grownups, laughing and shouting. The gates were open to any and all and as long as no laws were broken, any and all were welcome. The kids saw Bell and ran towards her, shouting Caesara in their high pitched voices.

Cocles reached into his pocket and handed her a bag of sweets to hand out. Bell had forgotten, but Cocles and the children hadn't. They hugged at her legs and pushed one another aside until they were all pressed up against so tightly, she couldn't move. She finally gave up any effort of walking forwards and just sat down on the steps.

I watched the mothers glance over at their children, their happy children, and return back to their shopping and gossiping. Hunger was no longer a primary worry. Children were safe. The mothers were happy. They might have had less freedoms under the Empire than they had under House or the Courier, but they also had a crap ton less to worry about.

I felt the start of a headache and shook my head. I didn't want to think about it. There was just as much wrong with it as there was right and no matter how I looked at it, it wasn't a thought I really wanted to think about.

I cleared my throat. Bell looked up at me and nodded her head slowly.

She reached out to the children. "I have an errand to run, please help me up?"

Little hands wrapped around her arms and hoisted her up. When she was finally on her feet, they let out a loud cheer and then returned to their running around games.

Bellona started walking down the road towards the old NCR buildings and Cocles and I followed behind her. The Bellonarius kept his eyes focused on the back of her head. "They missed her."

"We all did. We all still will for a while yet."

Cocles nodded his head once. "Where are we headed?"

"The Jail. It looks like we all jumped to a big ol' conclusion that couldn't have been more wrong."

Cocles almost tripped. "The Courier?"

"Veronica." I dreaded the conversation that was going to be had during dinner. It wasn't going to be any fun. Maybe I could find a way to miss it.


	3. My Bellona's Back and You're Gonna be in Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, she's back and she's really not one of those sunshine and lollipop kind of girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized how badly I screwed this up editing/formatting wise. I am so sorry.
> 
> Here's a nice long chapter to make up for it.
> 
> Yeah, I know that the chapter seems to end abruptly, but after I tried to make it fit, I realized that I had so much more I wanted to write about and it just fit better to break it apart. That also meant I could spend more time on the second part.
> 
> So really, there will be two long chapters to make up for bad posting job.

**Bellona**

I found Vulpes in the suite he had taken over as his office. He was in the middle of a discussion with Cato and Alerio, but it really made no difference. I walked into the room and took a seat in the corner of the room and watched the men slowly stop their conversation to stare at me. Of course they would. 

"Please, continue. Don't let me interrupt." I leaned back in the chair and tapped my fingers against the arms of the chair. Of course I wanted to interrupt and if they were as smart as they believed themselves to be, they would certainly understand that.

Vulpes looked at me and smiled. I knew that smile well. Not many people saw it, but the way it reached his eyes, the way the lines in the corners tightened, the way his cheeks pulled up, made it the most beautiful thing in the world to me.

"You are up and about?"

"Yes." I nodded my head slowly. Our conversation could wait until we were in private. "I even managed to take a walk down to the prison." I saw the look Cato gave Alerio and smirked. "Veronica is now back at the 38. She is in the Presidential Suite. I expect her to be treated with respect."

Vulpes laced his fingers together on the surface of his desk and I stared at him. Daring him to defy me. "Is that wise?"

"You never bothered to ask her what happened." I pushed up from the chair. "Don't question my judgment on this please." I walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me and headed towards the elevator, only to be intercepted by Charlotte.

The little girl wrapped her arms around my legs, squealing in delight. "Caesara!"

I couldn't move, but I wasn't sure I wanted to. There was something soothing and wonderful about feeling those little arms hold on to me. It was like she was anchoring me to the ground. I waddled towards a bench against the wall and sat down before I pulled her up next to me. She took my hand in both of hers and pressed her fingers against mine, comparing them. "Are you better? I've been helping Caesar and Rosa Campi, but I don't like your job. It's hard."

I pulled my hand free from her grasp and wrapped my arm around her slight shoulders. She pressed up against my side and my arm tightened. "They had you dress up and go to meetings?" This was the first that I had heard about this. Not that I really expected them to inform me that they had unilaterally decided that Charlotte needed to pick up my social obligations. It still bothered me. I didn't pull her from the hospital so she could be a little adult.

"They wouldn't let me see you. And the one time I could, you were asleep and they told me that I couldn't wake you up or I would get in trouble."

I tried to hide my frown, but as with most children in my experience, which was actually pretty limited, even as a child, Charlotte was incredibly perceptive.

"Are you angry, Caesara?"

I brushed my hand over her light blonde hair, smoothing the flyaway strands down. "I am not angry with you, Charlotte. I am angry that you were pushed into doing things. I am angry that you weren't allowed to visit me more often. I am angry that you lost out on three weeks because I was not well. But I am not angry with you, Charlotte."

She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled herself closer to me. I gave her food, a warm bed, a clean place to live, and yet it wasn't those things that made her happy. It was that I was walking around. It was that she could talk with me again. I made her happy. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Should we go get some food and visit with Aunt Veronica?"

"She's a bad woman."

I pulled away and held her by her shoulders so that we were looking at each other. "Why do you say that?"

"Aunt Rosa Campi and Caesar and Uncle Alerio and Uncle Ianus and even Tom says she's bad."

"And did they tell you why they say that?"

"That she was mean to you and then Aunt Rosa used a word that I'm not allowed to use."

I nodded my head slowly. "Charlotte? Do you trust me?"

Her only response was to smile at me and nod her head in return.

"Sometimes people think that someone has done something bad because it's easier." I tried to will my words into her mind. Like she could even begin to comprehend prejudices.

"Easier than what?" She squinted her eyes at me and fisted her hands on her hips.

I struggled not to laugh at her pose and barely succeeded. "Than learning the truth."

She nodded her head, like it all made sense. And maybe it did to her, but since most adults couldn't comprehend it, I took her nodding with a grain of salt and an attempt to be older than she was. She liked to do that, walk as though she was an adult, nod her head like adults did in understanding, even her body language held hints of her attempts of being and grown up. I stood up and took her hand. "Let's go have lunch with Aunt Vero, and you can tell me all about Tom."

"He's my bodyguard." She pulled me into the elevator and pressed the button to the Presidential Suite.

"You have a bodyguard, all of your own now?"

"Caesar Vulpes says I need to be protected and Tom at least talks to me." She tilted her head back so she could look up at me as we talked.

"The others don't talk to you?"

"They usually just tell me what to do."

I didn't bother to hide my grin this time and bent down close to her just as the doors slid open. "They usually tell me what to do too." Hand in hand we stepped out into the suite. "Vero?"

The Brotherhood scribe stepped out of the bathroom and smiled at me. "Thank you again for releasing me."

Charlotte hid behind my legs, but peaked around my hip. "Why do the others say you are bad? You don't look bad to me."

I tried to smile apologetically at her just sort of shrugged my shoulders. "Want some company for lunch?"

She combed her fingers through her damp hair and led the way into the kitchen. "Sandwiches?"

"I had them stock the fridge with fresh food, so we don't have to stomach our way through some irradiated canned pseudo meat.

"What does pseudo mean?" Charlotte had sat down at the table and was tracing a finger over the graffiti.

"Not real or fake." Vero answered before me.

It was telling that she didn't ask what irradiated meant, and a little bothersome. "Charlotte, have you had any lessons while I was sick?"

"I got lessons in how to not fidget." She was very proud of that lesson.

I looked between Vero and Charlotte while we fixed sandwiches. The scribe needed a task and Charlotte needed an education. Vero also needed to gain the trust of the others, although she had never really broken it. "Vero, would you mind setting aside a few hours a day to instruct Charlotte?"

She looked down at the sandwich she was layering with vegetable and meat, but it didn't hide the smile. "I would be happy to. Assuming that Charlotte doesn't mind."

I slid a plate down in front of Charlotte with a glass of milk, sat down across from her, and Vero sat next to me. "Charlotte?"

She bit into the sandwich and nodded her head.

I leaned back in my chair and bit into the sandwich. Pleased with the way things were moving. Charlotte might have listened to the words of the others, but it didn't mean she trusted them. "Start with the basics, reading, writing and math and of course Latin."

Vero nodded her head, from her silence, she was either planning out lesson plans or still not completely certain of her standing with me. I decided that I wanted to believe it was the former. Charlotte would be the test case. If Vero handled Charlotte's education as efficiently as I hoped, it would just be a matter of time before I could convince Vulpes to assign her as the minister of education. Charlotte would not be the only child to receive a well-rounded education.

"Why not start this afternoon?"

"But Aunt Rosa said I could go swimming today. That the pool would be filled."

"You know how to swim?" Vero looked at the girl with as much curiosity as I did.

"No, but Uncle Cato said he would teach me."

I now had the perfect incentive for Charlotte. "You can go swimming and I will teach you if Aunt Vero says that you have done well with your lessons."

I could see Charlotte processing my offer and could almost pinpoint the moment when she realized that there was no clear way out of the offer without giving up the opportunity to swim. "Deal."

Vero pushed some meat back into her sandwich. "That means each day we have lessons, Charlotte. Not just today."

I had to hide my mouth behind the sandwich in order to keep her from seeing my smile when she lifted an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Vulpes.

"Fine." Charlotte returned her attention to her lunch and Vero returned to her contemplative silence.

"I'll let it be known that you have access to the rooms holding the books planned for the library so that you can pull out anything which can be used for instructional purposes."

As soon as the immediate problem was put to rest, I closed my eyes and tried to find another problem to deal with. Anything but having to face Vulpes on my own. Anything would do. I finished my sandwich and stood up from the table. "Charlotte, I have errands to run and Vero needs to gather books for you. I'd like you to clean the dishes from lunch. Then stay here until Vero returns. I will come and get you for your swim lesson, assuming that you have paid proper attention." I looked down at her, waiting for her to acknowledge my request. At her begrudged nodding I smiled and slipped out of the room. Once in the elevator I altered Vero's permissions with Yes Man.

At the lobby, I was greeted by two Bellonarii who silently fell in behind me. "I'm headed to Freeside." I already knew that my wanderings would be reported back to Vulpes, so my little announcement was really for Yes Man's benefit. He would let Vulpes know instead of Vulpes having to rely upon a Frumentarius passing on the information. The could spend their time in better ways than spying on me.

The market was still bustling and there were still children running around, but the sight of two large and armed men kept the children away. I took my time walking through the street. For the first time I was able to appreciate the changes that would have been subtle to anyone else. The whores were hidden behind closed doors and mothers and children walked around freely, speaking with one another. Of course I also noticed the glares from the men standing outside of the Gomorrah. They didn't like the changes.

I stopped in front of the building and turned around to one of the Bellonari and noticed the "C" embossed on his leather breast plate I had to smile, Ianus had kept to his promise. "Cocles. Bellonarios deprehendes et angarium ad Siri missites." I pulled my lip between my teeth and considered my next request. It wasn't exactly the smartest thing I could do, but it also wouldn't be the stupidest. "Nerio apparere aliquanta tecta habes."

Cocles eyes widened just slightly, but he nodded his head and obeyed. I crossed my arms behind my back and studied the men in front of the Gomorrah. They all stroked their weapons as though they were extensions of their manhoods. I had read enough about the casino from the Vulpes' reports and though I was probably going to cause a revolt, I needed to do what I was about to do. 

The clearing of the throat behind me pulled me away from my thoughts. "Tell me, has the Caesar established a police force yet?"

"Yes, Caesara."

"Leave me one of your dagger and go get a squad. And make sure they are properly armed and armored."

"But Caesara."

"I am standing in the center of the Strip." I turned around so that I could look at the priest. "And are you going to disobey a direct order from me?"

"Caesar said."

"Yes, yes, I know what he said, but I am saying get me a squad from the police force." I held out my hand palm upwards and waited for the dagger. When it wasn't forthcoming I looked up at him out of the tops of my eyes. "You know what happened to the spies sent to us while in the vault?"

The Bellonarii nodded his head slowly. "I saw the results, yes."

"I did that. Not Caesar. Me. And I didn't just order it done, I did it myself."

The dagger landed in my palm and the priest ran off to complete his task. I hefted the dagger in my hand, testing its balance and weight and leaned back against one of the paper dispensers. Most of my attention turned to the men outside the casino. When one of the men looked at me, I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled.

"This isn't really what I expected you to be doing this afternoon, princess."

Rosa Campi stepped up to my right and I looked over to my left, sensing another body. Veronica grinned up at me. "I left Charlotte working on tracing letters. She should be good for a while."

"He didn't try to stop you?"

Rosa Campi actually snorted through a laugh. "I sorta explained that this wasn't something he should stop unless he wanted to see his new city burn to the ground. And that you didn't need his help."

"They deserve the chance to say no."

"Most of them won't." Vero looked up from the fist she was tweaking.

"But I will give them the opportunity. That's more than they had before."

"And what of the Omertas?" Rosa Campi nodded her head towards some of the men thrusting their chests out in a show of machismo. They needed to take lessons from the Legionary.

"I'm bringing a police squad, they are going to be arrested for possession of chems."

"They'll just say it was the girls, that they didn't know." Vero tried to point out the hole in my plan, but I was undaunted.

"I worded the law very specifically. They are in charge of the building, yes? Then they are responsible for everything that happens within the walls of the building. Ignorance is no longer an excuse for perpetuating a crime." I kept my gaze on the thugs steady.

"And the girls?" Rosa Campi mimicked my pseudo relaxed pose and leaned against a planter.

"They were under duress. The laws of slavery are very specific as well. Those responsible for the slaves are accountable for every action, including chem use."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah slavery." Rosa Campi smirked and rolled her eyes at me.

Cocles returned with the rest of the Bellonarii, they must have been expecting Rosa Campi and Vero since they didn't act surprised. "Caesara, they will assume something is up."

"This is just a friendly visit." I pushed off from my perch and headed towards the building. My entourage followed behind me and I slid the dagger between my belt and pants.

Then men tried to act tough, but the silent threat from the Bellonarii caused them to part for us. "Gentlemen." I nodded my head at them. "Please, come inside with us." They couldn't very well refuse a polite request from the partner of the Leader of the city.

I patiently waited at the door until one of the Omertas opened the door for me and swept in. I might have been wearing denim pants and a button down shirt, but I was the Caesara and I was about to tear down their tiny but disgusting empire.

"Excuse me, but you're going to have to turn over your weapons." I rolled my eyes and ignored the request. I heard Rosa Campi behind me, responding to my snub.

"I'm pretty sure that you even try to do it, her friends behind us will cut off your hands before you even get within six feet of her. Or us."

I stopped at the casino floor and crooked two fingers at the pit boss, beckoning him to me.


	4. And Gomorrah Sorta Burned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's violent and bloody and full of swear words. You know, a typical Rosa Campi chapter.

**Rosa Campi**

I got it, her need to fix everything. Anything so she didn't have to think about fixing herself. I also got why the Gomorrah was her target. She couldn't fix herself, but she could fix it so that it didn't happen to other women under her watch.

I also got that it was fun. Hell, Vero probably even thought it was fun. Which reminded me, the little twit and I were gonna have to have a sit down. She certainly seemed to have a different view of Bell and maybe even the Empire in general, but we hadn't actually talked with one another. Lucius be damned, it was gonna take a crap ton of booze to get through our chat. But hey, that wasn't important right now. What was important was that Bell was going all tough as shit, balls to the walls, and I had a fucking front row seat to it.

I bent my shotgun over my arm and grinned and the greasy slime balls. This was gonna be fun.

Nero, the big guy himself, came down to greet us, "Caesara, I had heard you weren't well, so glad to see you up and about, Versa Roma missed your warm presence, eh?"

"I just had a question for you, Nero." She looked so casual standing there. Like she couldn't have killed Nero with that little dagger in her belt if she wanted to.

The idiot took a step closer to her. "Of course, mea Caesara." He raised his arm and lifted it towards the back of the casino floor. "Perhaps you'd like to go to my office?"

"No, here's fine." She didn't even have to look back to know that her Bellonarii had formed their solid half circle behind her. "I know my father had a deal with you. So I am assuming that you had the same deal with Lanius?"

Nero suddenly figured out that this wasn't a social visit. "I don't know what you mean, Caesara?" He was really bad at playing dumb.

"So you must have also sent a few of your girls up to the Fort too, right?" She easily closed the distance between them. "How many of those girls came back in one piece if they came back at all?"

"Caesara?" Nero looked around like he was trying to figure out where to run.

"Unregulated chems are illegal, Nero." As if on cue, the doors burst open and a bunch of very fit and very heavily armed legionaries stormed the lobby and casino floor. It took them seconds to get everyone down to their knees. Omertas, guests, employees. Everyone but us.

And the little shit actually tried to run. Whatya know, the fucker was planning out his escape route. Too bad for him he ran in the solid chest of one of the Bellonarii.

When Big Sal pulled out his gun, I just lifted my shotgun and pointed it at his face. "You sure about that, Sally?"

The gun made a dull thumping noise as it hit the floor. Why did idiots do that? Drop their guns? They never actually considered that if they didn't have the safety on, the gun might fire. They also didn't figure that it was as likely to hit themselves as someone else. In this case, the gun went off. Big fucking surprise there. The bullet hit Big Sal's shin. We all heard the bone shatter and then watched as he sorta crumpled to the ground.

Bell looked over her shoulder at me. "And these guys are actually one of the top groups around here?"

I just shrugged. "I don't think smarts is all that important to 'em?" It was the best I had.

Nero was currently being held by said massive wall of Bellonarii and the legionaries were sweeping the rooms. A pile of chems was slowly growing in the middle of the casino and even I was shocked at how big it was.

It wasn't until Siri slipped in behind us that Bell got the whores herded into the Casino. They all eyed the chems, but didn't actually move to them. Maybe the whores weren't as dumb as the Omertas.

"Possession of unregulated chems is considered a crime against the state, considering the amount of chems that have been accumulated so far, I think that it is safe to say that the running of the Gomorrah will be absorbed by the state." She actually paused in her little lecture and I know that the Bellonarii all groaned on the inside. Hell, I fucking banged my head against the wall in my imagination. It didn't really make anything better, but at least I _felt_ a little bit better. Plus I didn't have to fend off a headache. 

And then all hell broke loose. The Omertas must have realized that the new regime was not going to let them run the Gomorrah. Big Sal was out of commission, but the others went for their hidden weapons. Cachino was stupid enough to go after Bellona herself. I actually stopped to stare at them for a moment. She didn't flinch away, in fact it looked like she wanted the fight. She pulled out the borrowed dagger and sliced through the arm holding his gun. Without the necessary tendons available to do their job, the gun fell to the ground. But Bell wasn't through. She delivered a kick to his chest that dropped him to his knees and then somehow managed to get behind him. She put her blade between his lips and pulled back, slicing open his cheeks.

She bent down to whisper something to him. I don't know what it was and to be honest, I didn't and still don't want to know. I just saw the fear in his eyes. Something I didn't think that I would ever see in a man like Cachino. 

As his blood dripped from his cheeks and down his chest, staining his shirt, she called for Vero.

"Give me his heart." Bell held his arms back, and between the pain and blood loss, Cachino looked to have lost any fight. 

Vero did as she asked. I saw the fist glow and then vibrate as it pushed between his ribs and then. I swear to fucking god, she was holding his heart in front of his eyes. So, not only was Cachino bleeding from the mouth, or what was left of his mouth, but he was now also bleeding from the gaping hole in his chest. He blinked in time with his beating heart and then he just died. I suppose his brain, as small as it was, figured out that it didn't have a heart anymore and just gave up.

I pulled my stare away from the bloody scene in time to shoot at one of the under bosses who wasn't smart enough to surrender. He looked as surprised as I felt that the shot hit him square in the chest.

The Bellonarii and legionaries made quick work of the others. Only Nero and Sal were left alive.

Ever since Bell's Feast Day, all of the casinos had started playing Nina Simone over their sound system. As if on cue, Sinnerman started to play. I had a love hate relationship with that song, but it was kinda appropriate. You could smell the blood and you could smell death. The guests and whores didn't manage to keep their stomachs under control, but somehow the rest of us did. So not only did we get to smell blood and death, but we also got to enjoy the wafting aroma of sick to the tune of Nina Simone belting out the tale of a sinning man begging for redemption.

And I signed up for this shit?

"Well, now that the excitement is over." Siri stepped into the room and gestured to a few of the soldiers. "Take the remaining Omertas to the prison and have someone from the hospital look at their injuries." She surveyed the scene. "Show's over folks. I suggest that you find a new establishment to lose your caps in."

As the guests filed out of the casino doors under the watchful eyes of the securitrons, who I assume were double checking that they weren't actually Omertas in disguise, Siri and Bell made their way to the whores.

"Siri will give each of you an exam." She paused to smile at the men. I don't think she thought that men could actually be prostitutes, but the Omertas were equal opportunity pimps. "I will have the head of the hospital come to give medical exams to the men, if they feel more comfortable with a man treating them."

The whores just stared at her open mouthed. I couldn't blame them.

"We'll find employment for you, if you wish to work for the Empire, or you are free to go. Regardless, you are no longer under contract with the Omertas or the Gomorrah." Then she just turned, mind you, still covered in blood and headed out of the casino. Vero and stared at one another for a moment before hurrying after her. Apparently the Bellonarii were used to her proclamations since they were already moving to following her. I realized, a bit late, that we were leaving the cleanup to the Legionaries and Siri, but it wasn't something I thought too much about. Cleaning up after Bell wasn't in my job description. At least not in public.


	5. Bellona Claudius Caesar Sum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She stepped out of the shower and in front of the mirror. She placed her hands over her breasts so that her little fingers nearly touched and her thumbs pointed up to her armpits. It had been a week since Rosa and Nerio had pulled her from her stupor and Vulpes still hadn't touched her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This deals with the after effects of an assault so it might be triggery and then it shifts into smut at the end. 
> 
> I strongly recommend that you listen to the song Be My Husband by Nina Simone at the end of the chapter. Yes, I know the words aren't really the best as far as meaning goes, but the actual music reflects their actions. I put in an * where the music starts in my mind.
> 
> Extended author notes can be found on my [Tumblr](http://sophe-scribit.tumblr.com/).
> 
> As always, Latin Translations can be found at the end.

She stepped out of the shower and in front of the mirror. She placed her hands over her breasts so that her little fingers nearly touched and her thumbs pointed up to her armpits. It had been a week since Rosa and Nerio had pulled her from her stupor and Vulpes still hadn't touched her.

"Bellona Claudius Caesar sum." She lifted her chin at the woman who looked back at her.

She leaned forward until her nose was as close to the mirror as she could get it without touching the glass. She stared at the eyes who returned the stare. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

She pulled a few inches back and opened her mouth. She stuck her tongue out and tilted her head back until her reflection showed her a view of the back of her mouth and the start of her throat. She closed her eyes and mouth and straightened her neck. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

She ran her forefinger along her neck where a faint line remained. Once her fingertip reached the side, just below her ear, she spread her thumb and forefinger and wrapped them around her neck. "I am Bellona Claudius Caesar."

She looked down at her breasts, at the now unadorned nipples. She didn't realize how much she relied upon those rings to confirm Vulpes' feelings for her. Somehow, replacing them herself or asking him to replace them trivialized their meaning. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

She covered her breasts with her hands again and then slid them down to her stomach. She pressed her fingers against the flesh and wondered if her body would ever shelter a child. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

She picked up a brush from the vanity and pulled it through her hair. She repeated the action until she removed all of the tangles. Since Caesar brought her into the Legion, she kept the length of her hair long, well past her shoulders. She put the brush down and picked up the scissors. With the same precision she used with her daggers on Lanius' throat, she cut through her hair until the ends hit just below her jaw. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

She combed her fingers through her hair a few times before pushing it behind her ears. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum. Kara Vulpis. Filia Caesaris. Princeps Imperii. Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

She walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom of the penthouse suite. She took one of Vulples' shirts from the closet and slid her arms into the sleeves. She buttoned up the shirt while staring out at the view of the desert.

She left the top two buttons undone and turned away from the window. She walked over to the salvaged record player and flipped through the available albums. Her fingers stopped at the well-worn album cover of Pastel Blues. She knew all of the songs by heart, but it didn't matter. She wanted to hear the songs again. She slid the record from the sleeve and while holding onto the edges placed it down on the turntable. Using just the tip of her finger, she lifted the arm and set it down on the vinyl. She took a deep breath and turned on the record player.

The slow and steady beat of 'Be My Husband' filled in the empty silence of the suite.

She wrapped her arms around her chest as though she was hugging herself and closed her eyes. The music enveloped her senses and her body began to sway to the beat. Her arms weren't the ideal surrogate, but they would have to do. Inside her mind, she replayed the night of her feast day celebrations. The night Vulpes welcomed her into his tent. The night they snuck off to an abandoned house in Flagstaff. The night they danced to Nina Simone's 'Strange Fruit'. It didn't where they were, they always spent the evening together from the time she turned eighteen. She wondered if they would spend the next feast day together, or if they would be living separate lives by then. She wondered if the words she had spoken earlier were a lie.

Unbeknownst to her, Vulpes had left his work earlier than planned. After she arrested the Omertas that she hadn't killed and repurposed the Gomorrah into a temple for Venus Genetrix, he had spent days putting both the Chairmen and the White Glove Society at ease. She might have destroyed one of the families, but it didn't serve anyone's purpose to eliminate the others. At least not yet and he had to put several projects aside in order to deal with the fallout of her temper tantrum. He was tired and just wanted the quiet of the suite. The last thing he expected to find was Bellona dancing to Nina Simone in just his shirt. It was almost less expected than the view of Bellona with short hair.

He leaned against the side of the doorway and watched the way her back moved independently from her hips. The way her hips pulled her legs and feet around the floor. His lips tightened and he closed his eyes for a moment before turning around, intent on slipping unnoticed from the room and suite.

Fate intervened and she turned around to the music just as he did. She saw the stiffness of his back and closed her eyes. "Vulpes!"

He stopped but didn't turn around. She opened her eyes. "Am I unworthy of you now? Have I been tainted in some way? How do you plan on continuing the charade in public when surely the Praetorianii and Bellonarii will talk how their Caesar and Caesara live separate lives within the 38?"

Whatever he was going to say stopped before crossing his lips. He turned around and looked at her. He looked at her for the first time in four weeks. "You cut your hair."

She took three steps towards him. "My hair? That's what you notice?"

He took a step back and she stopped her approach. In the background Nina accompanied the piano, singing about indifferent glances and pulling hands away.

"Non indigna es, Bellona." He closed his eyes again. 

"Adhoc me abstines." She nearly whispered to him. "Bellona Claudius Caesar adhoc sum."

His eyes opened at her admission and he pressed back against the wall before sliding down it. "Etiam, es." He looked up at her.

"Cur me abstines?" Her hands reached out to him, even though her she didn't move.

She could argue in Latin. She was fluent, he had to translate the words in his mind before he spoke them, especially when he dropped whatever walls he erected to keep his emotions in check. "Because I can't lose you, Bell. The mere thought of you being gone destroyed me. It almost destroyed the Empire. I can't lose you."

"Narravitne te Rosa Campi?"

His eye brows crept together on his forehead with his scowl. "Did she tell me what?" He had the unsettling feeling that the conversation he was participating in, wasn't necessarily the same as the one the woman standing in front of him was having.

Her thumb and forefinger covered the line around her neck. The last physical reminder that couldn't be hidden from view. His gaze followed her hand. "I hate that he marked you."

"Ille cicatrices tua non est." She dropped her hand to the side.

"No. What? Mars, no, Bellona. He marked you, he hurt you, and I didn't stop it from happening. He almost killed you and I wasn't there to stop it."

She didn't correct him.

He held out a hand to her. She took a step to him and reached out to touch his fingers with her own. "That is my job, Bell. To protect you. To keep you safe. That is my only job. That is what your father dictated and I could not manage that."

She wrapped her fingers around his and took another step closer to him. "Ille tuum solum negotium non est. Et sumne non viva?"

He snorted out a soft laugh. "But not well."

"Credisne illum?" She started to pull away, but his fingers tightened around hers. He wasn't certain it was the right thing to do, but in his mind it was better than doing nothing. She relented to his touch.

"Are you well, Bellona?" He gently pulled her down towards him, urging her closer. "Because the slaughter you left at the Gomorrah says otherwise."

Her bare legs brushed up against his knees and they both froze. Looking at one another. Daring the other to pull away while at the same time wishing that the other would move just that much closer.

"Bene sum. Promitto."

"Te amo, mea Bellona. Te sola amo."

"Nova dies est, Vulpes."

"I didn't leave your side when for the first week we got you back."

She smiled at him. "It's a new day, Vulpes."

"When Ianus told us that you weren't raped. Yes, I was relieved, but not because of why you think. I was relieved, because I saw what it did to Rosa Campi and I never wanted you to experience that."

She understood then what Nerio and Rosa had tried to explain to her. That somehow, in the men's minds, what happened to her was somehow less worse than what happened to Rosa and Nerio. For men, it was a matter of degrees. They could make the occurrence less than what it was by putting qualifications upon it. She also understood that Vulpes desperately needed her forgiveness. Rosa also explained that phenomenon to her. Despite there only being two people in Caesar's tent that long night, there might as well have been hundreds. "Tua culpa non est."

She knelt down between his legs, making a mental note that they needed to find rugs to put on the floor in their bedroom. He rested his hands on the tops of his knees and watched her. She unbuttoned the shirt, starting at the top and kept her gaze on his. He couldn't look away from her. Not that he wanted to look anywhere else. She pulled her shirt open and let it slip off of her arms and drop to the floor.

"You cut your hair."

She nodded her head. "Yes, I did."

He swallowed hard enough for her to see his adam's apple bob up and down along his throat. He noticed the ring on her finger and the lack of rings on her nipples. He noticed the line along her throat. He noticed the hint of the scars on her back on her shoulders. He noticed her eyes. He noticed the muscles under her skin. He noticed the paleness of her skin, usually a light brown. He noticed the faded freckles on her nose and cheeks. He noticed the tip of her tongue as it moistened her lips. He groaned. He didn't mean to, it was an involuntary response, though not unwelcome. "I like it."

He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he couldn't. She recognized his hesitance and reached out for his hands, placing them over her breasts. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

"Bellona Claudius Caesar es"

She slid his hands up to her neck. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum."

"Bellona Claudius Caesar es."

She then moved his hands down her body to her stomach and pressed them against the soft flesh. "Bellona Claudius Caesar sum. Kara Vulpis. Filia Caesaris. Princeps Imperii"

"Mea kara es." He was a disciplined man, but it had been over a month since his fingers touched her skin. It had been over a month since he allowed himself to be close to her. He moved his hands to her hips and pulled her closer. "Are you ok?" He stared at her lips, her nose, anywhere but her eyes.

"I am ok, Vulpes." She slid closer to him until she knelt between his legs.

He leaned towards her and she leaned towards him. They met halfway and their lips pressed against one another. She felt his hands move up her body to her cheeks, holding her face close to his as his tongue gently pushed against hers. She felt his gentleness, his love, and his devotion in the gesture and her eyes watered with tears.

He pulled away from her and ran his thumbs under her eyes, wiping away the moisture. "I am not."

"But you will be." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, pressing her body against hers. "And I need you, Vulpes."

He pulled her down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He pressed her body against his own and ran a hand over her scarred back. She wrapped her arms around the arm in front of her and rested her head against his shoulder.

She dropped her hand to his thigh and pressed against his skin through his pants. Slowly, she moved her hand higher up his leg until it pressed against his hip. When he didn't pull away, she moved her hand further up until her fingers pressed against his waist. He turned her around so that her back was pressing against his stomach. It was easy for her to feel his arousal through his pants, but she didn't move. Instead she let him direct their actions.

His lips from the spot between her neck and shoulder and he pressed against it, She closed her eyes, but otherwise stayed still. His arms encircled her waist and he pulled her back against him. "I will always need you, Bellona." His whisper caressed the skin on her neck and she shivered against him.

A month was a long time to not have touched the only woman he ever wanted to touch. A month was a long time to be alone. Despite Ianus' admonishments to take it slow and Rosa Campi's directives to be patient, Vulpes couldn't stop himself. He spun her around until she faced him and slowly pushed her down onto her back with his knees astride her hips. He kissed her again before moving his lips down her body, taking time to stop at different spots, the underside of her breast, her navel, her hip, and the crease where her leg joined her body.

Her nipples stiffened at the hint of his touch and her hips lifted up under his ministrations. He looked up at her and grinned before running the tip of his tongue along the inside of her thigh. Her head fell back against the hard floor and her hands, balled into fists, hit against the ground. He nipped at the skin as he moved his mouth upwards, towards his intended target. 

*Just as the drum beat started on the record, he reached out and ran tip of his tongue along the length of her labia. Her body writhed beneath him and he pressed his hands to her hips, keeping her still. Or at least as still as possible. With the second pass of his tongue, it pushed between her labia teasing the inner lips for a brief moment before he pulled away and wrapped his lips around her clitoris. Her fists continued their pounding of the floor and she pulled her legs up, resting her feet flat on the ground with her knees bent. She might not be able to move her hips, but the rest of her body was not under any such restriction and she opened herself up to him.

Before she could find any more pleasure from his mouth, he pulled away and moved along the length of her body. With the grace of an adolescent, he fumbled with his pants and barely pulled himself free. She opened her eyes and was about to protest when she felt him push his engorged length fully into her.

"Make love to me."

He bent down to kiss her, to tease her lips and tongue with his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, pulling him even deeper into her with the help of a gentle lift of her hips. His movement was slow and deliberate and she matched each downward thrust with a lift of her hips.

He pressed his hands into the ground and held himself over her, staring down at her face. "I only make love to you."

Their movements matched the beat of the song, slow and languid. They took their time, moving their hips together while staring at one another. They both knew it couldn't last. They had been too long apart, but it didn't mean that they wouldn't enjoy their brief moment together immensely. She arched her back, pressing her shoulders into the floor and tightened her muscles around his hardness buried deep within her. He groaned, but maintained his stare. He looked into her eyes and bent his head down to kiss her, pushing his tongue between her lips, mimicking the movements of the thrusting between her lower lips.

She bit down on the tip of his tongue and the involuntary contractions around him coupled with the flood of wetness pulled him over the edge with her. With a final thrust he felt himself releasing inside of her and groaned into her mouth. He lowered himself down onto her body, covering her completely with his own body. As he moved to roll over onto his side, she stopped him. Holding him against her with her arms and legs.

"Stay."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You can't hurt me, Vulpes."

He dropped his face to her neck. She ran her hands over his back. Soothing away the pain and hurt he had brought upon himself. She felt the warmth of his breath against her skin quickly followed by the warmth of his tears.

"You can't hurt me, Vulpes. It's beyond your capabilities." Her whisper was a gentle reminder to both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bellona Claudius Caesar sum - I am Bellona Claudius Caesar
> 
> Kara Vulpis - Beloved of Vulpes 
> 
> Filia Caesaris - Daughter of Caesar
> 
> Princeps Imperii - Ruler of the Empire
> 
> Non indigna es, Bellona - You are not unworthy, Bellona
> 
> Adhoc me abstines - Yet you avoid me
> 
> Bellona Claudius Caesar adhoc sum - I am still Bellona Claudius Caesar
> 
> Etiam, es - Indeed you are
> 
> Cur me abstines? - Why do you avoid me?
> 
> Narravitne te Rosa Campi? - Did Rosa Campi tell you?
> 
> Ille cicatrices tua non est -That the marks are not yours?
> 
> Ille tuum solum negotium non est. Et sumne non viva? - That is not your only job. And am I not alive?
> 
> Credisne illum? - Do you believe that?
> 
> Bene sum. Promitto - I am well. I promise
> 
> Te amo, mea Bellona. Te sola amo - I love you my Bellona. I love only you.
> 
> Nova dies est, Vulpes - It is a new day, Vulpes
> 
> Tua culpa non est - It is not your fault
> 
> Bellona Claudius Caesar es - You are Bellona Claudius Caesar
> 
> Mea kara es - You are my beloved


	6. Manus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I ran my hands over the rough whiskers along my jaw and leaned back in the chair while the sounds of Thelonious Monk banging away at a piano filtered down from our bedroom into the living area. Bellona had decreed an afternoon off for everyone. And by everyone she meant her friends, I put a stop to it being a state holiday. So the dining and sitting areas of our suite were filled with the noise of chatter and laughter of our friends accompanied by the music from a jazz artist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is filled with innuendo. Vero and Bell are having there own conversation, oblivious to the reactions of the others. This was written because of [Choco](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocoChipBiscuit/profile). Seriously, it's all her fault. It is damn close to crack, but I tried to keep it someone realistic. Oh, I also introduce Billy Knight as a character. He will definitely be a regular fixture at the 38. This is also the first chapter I've written from Vulpes' POV in a long time and I hope I did him justice considering that this chapter is more about inciting humor than fear. As always, comments are always welcome. Enjoy!

**Vulpes**

I ran my hands over the rough whiskers along my jaw and leaned back in the chair while the sounds of Thelonious Monk banging away at a piano filtered down from our bedroom into the living area. Bellona had decreed an afternoon off for everyone. And by everyone she meant her friends, I put a stop to it being a state holiday. So the dining and sitting areas of our suite were filled with the noise of chatter and laughter of our friends accompanied by the music from a jazz artist. There was something satisfying about watching everyone enjoying themselves. Bell had even convinced us to be nice to Veronica. I still was not entirely sure of her motivations, but she made Bell happy and that made me happy.

Bell was currently holding court in the living room. Alerio, Ianus, Aloysius, and Aloysius' friend Billy were pouring over the sketches Ralph had come up with for her wedding dress, offering their opinion as statements of fact about taste. Knowing them and their influence on Bell, the statements probably were. The addition of the Bellonarii to our circle of friends was odd, but Bell had decided that she wanted to be good friends with Billy Knight and if she wanted to be surrounded by Billy's fabulousness, her words, then Aloysius was part and parcel.

Lucius, Rosa Campi, and Veronica sat with me at the dining table. I was not paying as much attention to the conversation as I probably should have, but my attention was on Bellona. Her comfort with the men around her surprised me, even if I knew at a visceral level that it should not.

A potato chip hit my forehead and I looked over at Rosa, raising my eyebrow at her. "Yes?" I flicked the offending bit of junk food away.

"If you keep staring at the princess like that, we're gonna have to evacuate the room so you two can have some special alone time." 

"What's special alone time?" A high-pitched voice reminded me that there was another person sitting with us. Charlotte looked up from the book in front of her on the table.

Rosa Campi smirked and looked at me. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Wanna take that one, Uncle Vulpes?"

"Aunt Rosa might be better qualified."

Lucius had sense enough to elbow Rosa Campi in an attempt to keep her silent. It failed.

"It's like what used to happen at the Gomorrah without all the wrong." Rosa Campi's attempt was so wrong, I did not know where to even start with my chastisement.

I covered my eyes with my palm and shook my head, but not before I saw Lucius bury his face in his hands.

"Why would I want to do that?"

Veronica tried to save us, "you wouldn't, and that's the point. You don't need to worry about it."

Charlotte closed one eye and looked around at the grownups sitting with her. "But Uncle Vulpes does?"

I groaned and glared at Rosa Campi. "This is your fault. You realize that, right?" I pointed my index finger at her to emphasize my words. "You fix it."

I could see Rosa Campi considering the ramifications of standing up to me. I saw her glance at Lucius and the moment she conceded defeat. There was no need to hide my smirk of victory from her.

"When you're older it will make sense, kid. In the meantime, we're gonna stick a brick in the bag you carry around town and if anyone who isn't a girl compliments you, you swing that bag right at 'em."

We all stared at her, but it was Veronica who finally spoke up. "What the hell was that? You might as well have told her to stick barbed wire in her underwear."

The collective stare shifted from Rosa Campi to Veronica.

Lucius finally found his voice. "At some point this went from bad to worse and bottomed out at worst."

I swear, I saw the words leave Rosa Campi's mouth before she even spoke. "There won't be any bottoming out if he has to fend off a brick and fight through barbed wire."

"What's bottoming out?"

I snatched the Pipboy sitting on the middle of the table and punched in an SOS message to Tom. There was only one way to save this and it was to pretend it never happened. Tom must have been waiting for such a call because the elevator doors slid open before I even put the Pipboy back on the table.

"Sir?" Tom stood at attention, training from the NCR that we had not yet been able to eradicate.

"Could you take Charlotte, please."

"Certainly, sir. Is there somewhere or thing I should do?"

I looked at the little girl. It really was not her fault that she was being banished and it was not fair to punish her. "Take her to Mick and Ralph's." I glared at Rosa Campi. Her bit of fun was going to cost me several caps. "Tell them to charge it to me, please. Not the Empire."

"Of course, Sir." Tom held out his hand and Charlotte raced from her chair to take it.

Bellona looked over at me and lifted her eyebrows in question. I just shook my head in response. It would have to wait until later to be explained.

Rosa Campi had the decency to at least wait until the elevator doors closed before speaking again. "I don't think they sell bricks at Mick and Ralph's, Vulpes."

I pressed my fingers against my temple and stared at her, but I spoke to Lucius. "I am going to take her shopping spree from your wages, Praetorianus."

Lucius just chuckled at me. "You're going to have to have that talk with her one day, Vulpes, and it will probably be sooner rather than later."

"I believe that will fall to Bellona."

Rosa Campi raised a hand as if she was about to offer a suggestion, but stopped herself from actually speaking. I wondered for a moment why she had not stopped herself sooner. They continued their debate on the best time to further Charlotte's education and I returned my attention to Bellona. 

I stood up from the table and grabbed two bottles of cola. I opened both before walking across the floor to her and her court of admirers. I handed her a bottle and sat down next to her on the couch. "Have you picked out your dress yet?"

Billy Knight pursed his lips at her. The man we saw in the 38 was a very different man from the one we saw out in Versa Roma and his gestures and expressions almost always surprised me for a moment. He handed me a picture from an old movie magazine. "That's her first choice."

I looked down at the picture and then immediately back up at Bell before returning my attention back to the picture. The caption read _Jane Russell, The Outlaw_ and while I had to admit that the dress was definitely interesting, I also understood Billy's disapproval.

"And why shouldn't it be my first choice?"

"Because, darling, while your breasts are magnificent, they lack the necessary volume to pull off the neckline." Billy inhaled on his cigarette and crossed his leg over his knee. "Jane was an generously blessed women."

Blessed did not even begin to adequately describe the woman.

Billy handed me another magazine page. "This is my first choice." As he tapped the image, I realized just how long and thin his fingers were. "Ignore the feather monstrosity on her head. We wouldn't let our Bell out the door with that accessory."

Aloysius joined in. "That headdress is a definite no."

I could not find fault with Billy's first choice. It was loose fitting and long, but her back would be exposed and the neckline was deep enough to almost be considered immodest. Yet it was similar enough in appearance to the current ideas of what a dress from the Roman Republic might have looked like.

"We can have it trimmed in red too." Ianus added.

I handed the page to Bell. "I believe that you just might be outvoted on this, Bell."

Bell ignored the page and glared up at me. "Et tu, Vulpes?"

"Et me, Bellona." I dropped the magazine onto her lap and smiled at her. I turned back to Billy. "Who is she?"

"Louise Brooks. And with Bell's new hairstyle, it's almost like it's a sign."

I looked over at the magazine and realized that the same woman was the subject of the other pictures on the page. "It's perfect, Bell. And since you cannot wear your armor or your first choice, it might be in your interest to gracefully concede defeat. You are not likely to win this battle." I drank from the bottle to hide my grin.

She stood up, letting the magazine drop to the floor. "Fine." She waved the her bottle of Nuka Cola at Billy. "Take care of it." She walked away from her admirers to the dining table.

I bent down to pick up the magazine and set it down on the coffee table. "You do realize that I am the one who gets to deal with her pouting?" I tried to look stern as I surveyed the men.

"I am not pouting." Bell protested from across the room.

Billy winked at me and stubbed out his cigarette in one of the crystal ashtrays Bell had found for him. "Ms. Brooks nickname was _the untamable virgin_." He practically smirked at me. "It makes the dress even more perfect, no?"

Ianus laughed at the comedian. "I can vouch for the untamable part, but not the other."

I lifted my eyebrow and looked at Ianus until he had to decency to at least look chastised. The men returned to discussing the wedding in agonizing detail and I returned to studying the image of this woman, Louise Brooks. There was something remarkable about the woman that the images showed. It was intangible, but it started with a hint of vulnerability coupled with a fierce independence.

Billy's words interrupted my thoughts. "She would be at home on those pages."

I looked up at him, surprised by his insight. "Hmm?"

"I've asked Michelangelo to photograph her. Perhaps he should do a full series of photos of the both of you." He lit his cigarette with a gold lighter, a present from Bell, and leaned back in his chair.

"Why do we need pictures?" 

He sighed impatiently at me. "Because, whether you want it or not, you two are more than just Caesar and Caesara." I watched him casually flick an ash into the ashtray. "My shows are sold out because they can say they saw a friend of the Caesara's. Every musician knows the songs of Nina Simone. Ralph can't keep those cotton pants you always wear in stock. Mothers insist that their children learn Latin. And daughters are now all wearing some version of Bellona's bob."

I drank from the bottle while I considered his words and Billy picked up his glass of scotch. It grated on me that he both drank and smoke in the suite, but Bell would not allow me to prohibit it. If he was not so interested in Aloysius, I am certain I would be jealous.

He waved the cigarette at me to emphasize his point. "You two are young, beautiful, and impossibly stylish." He nodded his head at Alerio. "I think that the latter is probably because of his influence."

Alerio grinned at me and shrugged his shoulders. "I might have guided her away from some of her more tasteless fashion leanings."

"The point is, Woolpie, you two set all the trends and for the first time since before even the oldest residents of the Mojave can remember, we can actually afford to worry about whether something is stylish or not." He took another sip of scotch. "For the first time we actually have a vested interest in your maintaining control of the Strip and eventually the rest of the Mojave."

Rosa Campi and Lucius wandered over to us and joined the conversation.

"Vero is instructing the princess on the finer points of using a fist." She rolled her eyes and settled in next to me. "It got to a point where Lucius was even bored with it." She picked up the magazine with Louise Brooks on the page. "So the princess is a gay icon? How the fuck did she manage that?"

Billy sighed impatiently. "Because she's young, beautiful, fabulous, and sleeping with that guy." He pointed his cigarette at me. "Even if she does keep on killing the subjects of my punchlines."

"Do I have to make a fist before I put it in? Or do I keep my fingers straight?" Bell's words carried across the room.

Rosa Campi coughed, Lucius suddenly turned very pale, Alerio and Ianus tried very hard to ignore her words, and Billy choked on the smoke from his cigarette. Unsurprisingly, Aloysius remained as stoic as ever.

"You won't be able to get it in, if your hand's making a fist. Just straighten out your fingers and twist them around until they slip into place."

I looked over at Bell and Veronica and started to stand up. Rosa Campi pressed her hand down on my leg and kept me from rising. "If any of you mother fuckers stop the amazing gift that we are about to witness, I will kill you." She spoke with a hissed whisper.

As a whole, we all sat back. 

"There are two ways you can approach it. Either a fast and hard thrust or something that's slow and deliberate."

Lucius shifted in his chair and looked over at Rosa Campi with a raised eyebrow.

"Just be grateful that Charlotte isn't here or we'd be explaining a lot more than why barbed wire in her underwear isn't effective birth control."

Billy held his glass up to Rosa Campi. "Do not mistake my lack of questions as being disinterested in what will likely be a very compelling story I will want to hear all about later, but I think we need all of our cognitive skills to fully appreciate this little masterpiece."

I cringed. Short of kicking everyone out, which would make Bell unhappy, there was only one direction that this little escapade could go. I closed my eyes and pressed my head back against the couch. Maybe I could actually just ignore the conversation. Pretend it held no double meaning or horrible innuendo.

"Now just press this little button here."

"Oh my god! It vibrates!?"

It was hopeless. I bent over and hid my face in my hands, resting my elbows on my knees.

"When we go to the templum to give thanks before the wedding, I am going to say what I am supposed to say, but I want you all to know that what I really am giving thanks for is this moment right now."

I looked up and glared at Alerio. "Brute."

My friend and the head of the Frumentarii just grinned back at me.

"I wish you hadn't left that Pipboy on the table."

My attention snapped to Rosa Campi.

"This is gold. We could have recorded this and relived it over and over and over again."

My eyes narrowed and from the way she pulled away from me, I can only assume that I growled at her.

"Well it is." She replied with her usual defiance.

Both Billy and Aloysius made sounds of agreement and even Lucius seemed to find only the humor in this utterly humiliating event.

"So once you've fully inserted it, you can either use an up and down thrust or a twisting motion."

"Can I use both?"

"I suppose, but your arm will get tired sooner."

Ianus barely suppressed a squeak.

"Plus, things will just get really messy. Stick with one technique, at least in the beginning."

Billy fanned himself and looked at Aloysius out of the corner of his eyes. "I fear that our little soiree today will never be topped, and sadly our delectable hostess will never be able to fully appreciate it."

Rosa Campi made a fist and hit the couch cushion. She did not dare laugh and interrupt their conversation, so instead she utilized the couch to redirect her urge for emotional release.

Aloysius. Loyal, stoic, impenetrable Aloysius smirked at Billy. "What would you know about topping anything?"

Alerio, Ianus and Rosa Campi all chuckled.

"He's spending too much time with you, Billy." Rosa Campi smiled at the comedian.

"What does it feel like?" Bell was not helping us in our attempts to maintain a semblance of dignity. Who was I kidding? We left dignity behind the moment Rosa Campi mentioned the term 'going deep' in front of Charlotte.

"Kinda squishy. And warm. You'd be surprised how much warmth you can feel through the glove."

No, dignity would definitely not be returning anytime soon.

"So when you enter, you're going to want to keep your palm down, but once you've gotten your hand in, at least up to the wrist if not further, you'll want to turn your arm so your palm faces up. You'll have a lot more control that way and will be able to manipulate your fingers easier."

"Once I get it in, is there a spot I should aim for?"

"A sweet spot? Yeah, but you'll figure that out later. The more you do it, the better and faster you get at finding it."

I reached across the coffee table and took Billy's glass from him. I took a sip of scotch and set the glass on the table.

"Careful with that. The bottle's in the kitchen and one of us will have to interrupt what is clearly turning into the best thing ever."

I was tempted to finish the drink out of spite. It was my scotch he was drinking. And it was my Bell who was having the most pornographic conversation possible without actually realizing it.

"You need to be careful. Once your hand is fully inserted, the biggest challenge will be the muscles. If you hit any nerve just right, the muscles will clamp down on your wrist, making withdrawal almost impossible."

Billy slid the glass back towards me. "Never mind what I said. You definitely need this more than the rest of us."

"So I only want to push in when the muscles are relaxed?"

"It will be easier for you, yeah."

"Can they push your hand out?"

Billy smirked at the rest of us, "not if you're doing it right."

Rosa Campi looked directly at Lucius. "No. Just saying that now. No."

Ianus chuckled. "Where's your sense of adventure, Rosa Campi?"

"Have you seen the size of his hand?"

I snatched the glass off the table and poured the contents down my throat. 

"Says the size queen." Ianus looked entirely too satisfied with himself. "Please. You love it."

"That's what he said." There wasn't enough scotch to dull the snarkiness in Billy's voice.

I stared down at the empty glass in my hands and privately wished for more scotch.

"This is the really cool part. There's this point, right when your hand is starting to break through, the body will just suck it right in."

"And here I thought that Veronica could not possibly say anything worse."

"Woolpie actually has a sense of humor." Billy lit another cigarette.

"I have a sense of humor." I glared at him, but he seemed immune to my stare.

"He's not wrong. This really can only get worse." Lucius finally intervened.

"Do they usually scream? Cachino didn't scream at all."

We all cringed at Bell's question.

"Usually there's a lot of screaming, but Cachino was dealing with a lot more than just a fist."

"There it is." Alerio shook his head. "I really am grateful for the conversation leading up to this point, but I am also fearful of where it might go from here."

Billy reached over and took the glass from my hands. "Bell dear?"

She looked over at us. "Yes?" She appeared to be oblivious to the fact that her conversation about the finer points of using a fist had been fodder for our entertainment.

He waved his empty glass at her. "I could stand for a refill and didn't you promise us food? You can't hire the best chef in all of Versa Roma and not share the fruits of his labor with your bestest of friends." Billy stood up and walked over to her. "Plus, we can't have Veronica monopolizing all your time. We're mourning the loss of your considerable charms."

I looked around at the others still sitting around the coffee table. "Not one word about this. Ever. To anyone. Understood?"

They all nodded their heads in agreement and then stood up and retreated to the dining table. I followed after them, keeping my gaze on Bell. As uncomfortable as overhearing that conversation was, it did kindle a few interesting ideas for us to try later.


	7. Laborare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I looked down at the stack of files on my desk and closed my eyes in defeat. It didn't matter how much time I spent at the hospital, the work never seemed to end. Medical care as a whole was lacking before the Empire took over the Strip and now it was suddenly a priority. Not only did I have to contend with the civilian hospital, but I also had to make sure that the military was adequately prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote a piece on Tumblr about being a garderner, coupled with the fact that I pretty much just throw these chapters up without really working on them, means I sometimes have to write filler.
> 
> I know where I want to go, I know what I need to get there, but sometimes we have to dwadle while I figure things out. This is me dwaddling.
> 
> I'm also coming to the conclusion that the world is pretty much the main character of this part. This isn't a story about the people living in the world, this is the story about the world itself. It means that this is pretty challenging. More challenging than I realized.
> 
> Oh, also there's a brief conversation with two characters who are part of another story. Still part of this world, but their story is very separate. You can find it [here.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2437118/chapters/5397578)

**Ianus**

I looked down at the stack of files on my desk and closed my eyes in defeat. It didn't matter how much time I spent at the hospital, the work never seemed to end. Medical care as a whole was lacking before the Empire took over the Strip and now it was suddenly a priority. Not only did I have to contend with the civilian hospital, but I also had to make sure that the military was adequately prepared.

The surrender of the Legion after Lanius' death and the Courier's arrest was almost frightening. What was even more frightening to me was that the men and slaves just obeyed. I knew that there had been studies pre-war, about man's obedience to authority, but I had never actually witnessed it until now. These men and women did what they were told because they were told to. I had trouble understanding it, at least on a non-academic basis.

I grumbled at the thought and pulled another file ahead of me. The problem with the Empire's success was that people started expecting the standard of healthcare Vulpes had introduced instead of being grateful for any kind of care. I couldn't complain though. Not really. People respected and appreciated doctors, the Empire compensated them generously, and the only patient I had to see was Bell. I even got my lab up and running, but instead of spending my time with my microscope, I was spending time with my computer updating files.

I glanced down at the newspaper on my desk and smirked. Billy had done the unimaginable. He had turned Vulpes into as much of a celebrity as Bell. The perfect couple of Versa Roma stared up at me from the front page. It was a candid shot and if anyone doubted that the power couple's love for one another, the picture assuaged those hesitations. Vulpes sat at his desk and Bell was across from him. She pressed her feet up against the top edge and she was looking down at report. Vulpes was looking at her. I'm not sure how Michelangelo got the shot, but somehow it was perfect.

It was bad enough that their images were plastered on every wall, but now I couldn't even open a magazine or newspaper without seeing them. But Billy wasn't wrong. Versa Roma's borders were expanding at a slow crawl without any military effort because people wanted to be part of the world they seemed to be living in. Their wedding was going to be one for the ages.

I looked back at the pages and gave up. There was no reason to stay here when I could be at home and doing the same work there. Maybe patients were better than research. I stuffed the files into my bag with a resignation I never thought I would experience in my lifetime. I pulled the bag over my shoulder and turned off my light and computer before leaving my office.

Oh my god. Someone had actually framed the posters and now Vulpes and Bellona smiled benignly throughout the hospital hallways. Hopefully Alerio won't have eaten dinner yet and maybe he'd be available to hear me complain. What was wrong with me? I was complaining about peace, about people being able to get medical treatment.

The walk from the hospital to the 38 went past the Luxe and Tops casino and the administrative buildings, including the jail. Everyone in Versa Roma knew that the Courier was in that jail. Even the NCR. He must have burned all of his bridges since I hadn't heard of any attempts to break him out. I glanced over at the tops, suddenly wishing for the time when I wasn't so easily recognized and could get lost in the crowd. Now, whenever we went to a casino, it was an event. Rosa Campi had teased me mercilessly when she figured out that some young men had started wearing eyeglasses. I blamed Billy. And Mick and Ralph, since they were selling the glasses.

I stepped up to the securitron outside the door of the 38 and waited for it to recognize me before stepping through the door. The lobby had been transformed into a cafeteria of sorts. The residents of the 38 could gather here and find food. There was always food available, but the meal times were regular. Occasionally, Bell would make an appearance, usually at Billy's urging, but for the most part, our little group from the Vault stayed away. I nodded at Siri, who was sitting at a table with one of the centurions stationed here and a young woman. Siri waved me over and since she was picking up my slack at the hospital, I felt badly ignoring her.

I tamped down the annoyed feelings and walked through the table and chairs towards her. I sat down next to her and nodded at the other two at the table.

"Ianus, this is Marcus and I believe you already know Joana." Siri smiled smugly at me.

Joana? I studied the girl across from me and probably failed to hide my surprise. The last time I had seen her she was at the Gomorrah and strung out on whatever chems the Omertas fed her. She looked healthy. I had heard that she was working at the Templum. Basically doing what she did at the Gomorrah, but with better benefits. The last place I expected to see her was sitting in the cafeteria of the 38.

"Ianus?" She laughed. It was a nice sound to hear. That was one of the changes I would never get tired of. People laughed and it wasn't a stressed out sound, it was like pure music. "I don't know what's worse, Arcade, that I actually know why she called you Ianus or that you're called Ianus."

I pulled my glasses off and cleaned them with a napkin. "People can change."

"Tell me about it." Joana elbowed the man next to her. "Arcade here used to be vehemently anti Legion."

"I still am." I replaced my glasses. "I just happen to be pro Empire."

She laughed again and smiled at me. Suddenly the laughter was gone and in its place was sadness. "He really did a number on her didn't he?"

I nodded my head. I knew she wasn't talking about Bell.

"We all knew he wasn't a nice man, but who would believe us?" She looked down at her napkin.

My stomach dropped. Someone, or in this case multiple someones knew that the Courier wasn't who we all thought he was long before he showed the rest of us his true colors. I looked at the top of her head and noticed the man reaching out and squeezing her hand. He would have believed her. I should have been someone who believed her.

She looked up at me. "I want to be at his trial."

"It will be public." I glanced at Marcus. "And I'm sure that you'll be afforded a seat if you want it."

And then the somber aura was gone. Her laughter and smile vanquished it. "How's Julie taking the Empire taking over?"

"As well as can be expected. She can't complain too much, we keep her busy with all the detoxes." I smiled at Siri. "And then Siri here gets to gather all the data for me."

She quickly swallowed down the snack she was eating. "I try. Speaking of data, I have more subjects for your fertility study. I'll leave their files on your desk."

I stood up. "Thanks." I nodded at Joana and Marcus. "It was good to see you again, I'm glad to see you looking as well as you do, and Marcus, it was nice meeting you." I patted Siri's shoulder, "and I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital."

I walked away from them and to the elevator, avoiding anyone's direct gaze by studiously looking down at a file. I just wanted to get back to Alerio without any more diversions. Once in the elevator, Yesman's overly chipper voice greeted me.

"Hello, Doctor Ianus. Would you like to go to your room, or perhaps you'd like to join Rosa Campi at the bar."

"We really need to find a better name than just bar." I looked down at my bag. "Is Alerio in the 38?"

"He's in a meeting, Doctor Ianus."

"The Bar with Rosa Campi it is then. And can you ask the kitchen to send up dinner for us. Sandwiches and cola?"

"Of course Doctor Ianus."

"Thanks, Yes Man."

We still weren't back to the way we were before she threatened to cut me up into little pieces, but I could at least admit that her threat wasn't exactly unfounded. I stepped out of the elevator and had to work on not laughing. She was sitting on the couch and reading. 

"Well isn't this a sight?"

She didn't bother to look up from her book. "I'm bored. Now that the princess is up and about and Vero took over babysitting duties, I am out of work."

I sat down across from her. "Really?"

She looked up at me while I fished out a file. "Really. And it sucks."

"I'm sure there's something for you to do. Especially with the wedding?"

"Please, Billy has that event locked down. And yeah, there's plenty I can do, but Lucius has informed me that the wife of the head of the Praetoriani does not do a job. She supports."

My head snapped up and I had to rub the back of my neck. "Wife?"

"Yeah. Apparently the head of the Praetoriani has a wife."

"When did this happen and how come I wasn't invited?"

"It hasn't yet. It can't until the princess gets her wedding. And then we'll have a nice quiet ceremony at the Templum Juno."

"Is there are Templum Juno?" I didn't even know what question to ask first.

"Sorta. There are priestesses they moved over from the Templum Mars and I guess that there's a contingent of theologians coming from Flagstaff."

Ok, so that's how they were going to establish their churches. Just bring them in from the Flagstaff. Made sense. "So, do you want to be the wife of the head of the Praetoriani?"

"No. I want to be Lucius wife. I think."

"I don't think it works that way." She needed a reminder and it was only fair that I gave it to her. "And I remember a day when you were so distraught that he hadn't even kissed you that you got the princess drunk."

She looked back down at her book. "A kiss isn't the same thing as a wedding ring."

"Rosa Campi, he loves you. We all knew it when we saw you sound asleep with your head on his lap." I pulled one of the files out. "So, if you want him, then you take him the way he is."

"Fine."

"Now, you need something to do? Some cause to help? Why not put together a kind of charity for the hospital. Maybe focus on children?"

"I don't like children enough to make their hospital stays more pleasant."

At least she was honest. The elevator doors slid open and a servant from the kitchens rolled in a cart filled with food perfect for a late dinner.

Rosa looked at the cart then at me. "Your doing?"

I shrugged. "I haven't had dinner yet and figured that when Alerio finished his meeting, he could join us."

She thanked the servant and headed to the cart. I watched her put a few sandwiches on a plate and grab some colas. The servant backed out of the bar as quickly as he had entered, which was fine by me. "Rehab center."

"Hmm?"

"I'll get people to give me money to create a rehab center. A nice place to dry out." She brought the plate back to me.

It wasn't a bad idea. We could move the chem users out of the hospital and free up countless beds. Plus, she could probably get Julie interested in it and the Followers. If we could distract the Followers with a rehab center, they would be less likely to try to interfere with the Empire's drive to completely absorb Freeside.

"You should see if Julie can help you."

She picked up a sandwich. "It's just an idea."

"But a good one. Plus, Bell will give it her signature, so people will trip over themselves in order to give you money." I took one of the sandwiches. "I assume Lucius is in the same meeting, so why don't we pretend to not think about the things that annoy us and instead play perfect Empire wives."

She smirked at me. "That's right, you are the wife, aren't you?"

I just rolled my eyes and bit into the sandwich. It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always welcome and appreciated!


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